Acknowledging the report of the Special Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography (E/CN.4/1999/71 and Add.1), particularly the special focus on the sale and trafficking of children, Welcoming bilateral and regional cooperation mechanisms and initiatives to address the problem of trafficking in women and girls, and taking note of the draft convention on preventing and combating trafficking in women and children for the purposes of prostitution of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, as well as the establishment of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Center for Combating Transnational Organized Crime, Recognizing that global efforts, including international cooperation and technical assistance programmes, to eradicate trafficking in women and girls demand strong political commitment by and the active cooperation of all Governments of countries of origin, transit and destination, Underlining the importance of systematic data collection in determining the extent and nature of the problem of trafficking in women and girls and the need for countries to establish or upgrade data banks to be able to understand better the magnitude of trafficking and the situation of victims, Stressing the need for a global approach to eradicate trafficking in women and children and the importance, in this regard, of systematic data collection and comprehensive studies, including on the modus operandi of trafficking syndicates, Acknowledging the work done by intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations in compiling information on the scale and complexity of the problem of trafficking, in providing shelter for trafficked women and children, and in effecting their voluntary repatriation to their countries of origin, Noting with concern the increasing number of women and girl children from developing countries and from some economies in transition who are being trafficked to developed countries, as well as within and between regions and States, and acknowledging that the problem of trafficking also includes the victimizing of young boys, Gravely concerned at the increasing activities of transnational criminal organizations and others that profit from international trafficking in women and children without regard to dangerous and inhumane conditions and in flagrant violation of domestic laws and international standards, Deeply concerned about the unabated use of new information technologies, including the Internet, for purposes of prostitution, child pornography, paedophilia, trafficking in women as brides and sex tourism, 1. Takes note with appreciation of the note by the Secretary-General (E/CN.4/1999/66) drawing the attention of the Commission to his report to the General Assembly on trafficking in women and girls (A/53/409); page 2

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